UConn vs. South Carolina WBB Championship Game Prediction, Odds, Picks

At the start of the women’s college basketball season, South Carolina and UConn were the top two teams in both of the major polls. So, it is perhaps only fitting that, after almost five months of exciting action, twists, turns, highs, and lows, the Huskies and Gamecocks will meet for the national championship in Minneapolis on Sunday night.

Below, we offer our prediction and betting picks for the UConn vs. South Carolina matchup, along with betting promos and bonuses you can take advantage of while betting on tonight’s game and tomorrow’s men’s national championship game matchup between Kansas and North Carolina.

2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship Game: UConn Huskies vs. South Carolina Gamecocks Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Game Matchup: UConn Huskies (30-5, #2 seed and winner of the Bridgeport, Connecticut Regional) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (34-2, #1 seed and winner of the Greensboro, North Carolina Regional)
• Venue & Location: Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Date: Sunday, April 3, 2022
• Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

UConn vs. South Carolina Betting Odds (as of Sunday, April 3 at 10:00 a.m. ET)

Bovada Sportsbook

• Spread: UConn +4 (-110), South Carolina -4 (-110)
• Total: OVER 125.5 (-110), UNDER 125.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: UConn +160, South Carolina -190

BetOnline Sportsbook

• Spread: UConn +4.5 (-115), South Carolina -4.5 (-105)
• Total: OVER 125.5 (-112), UNDER 112.5 (-108)
• Moneyline: UConn +155, South Carolina -188

BetUS

• Spread: UConn +4 (-112), South Carolina -4 (-112)
• Total: OVER 125.5 (-114), UNDER 125.5 (-109)
• Moneyline: UConn +155, South Carolina -200

MyBookie

• Spread: UConn +4 (-115), South Carolina -4 (-115)
• Total: OVER 126 (-115), UNDER 126 (-115)
• Moneyline: UConn +155, South Carolina -200

BetMGM

• Spread: UConn +3.5 (-105), South Carolina -3.5 (-115)
• Total: OVER 125.5 (-110), UNDER 125.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: UConn +150, South Carolina -185

Gamecocks, Huskies Meet for Second Time This Season

The two teams have played in each of the last eight seasons, and the Huskies will be looking for a different result than their first head-to-head matchup this season. In that meeting in the Bahamas in November, the Gamecocks dominated the second half in a 73-57 win.

In the fourth quarter, South Carolina turned a close game into a comfortable win, outscoring the Huskies 16-3 and limiting them to a single Evina Westbrook three.

While South Carolina has held the number one ranking for the entire season, even after losing at Missouri in the regular season and to Kentucky in the SEC Tournament championship game, it has been more of a bumpy ride for UConn.

The Huskies had to weather an extended period without their best player, Paige Bueckers, and lost four times without her. As a result, they missed out on a #1 seed for the NCAA Tournament, instead receiving a #2 seed in the Bridgeport Regional.

Things haven’t been smooth sailing since Bueckers returned in February, but UConn survived a late rally by UCF in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and outlasted #1 seed North Carolina State in double overtime to reach the Final Four for the 14th straight time.

And after overcoming defending national champion Stanford in Friday night’s semifinal showdown, the Huskies will take aim at a 12th national championship on Sunday night and bid to keep the Gamecocks from going wire-to-wire as the nation’s top team this season.

UConn Faces Stiff Challenge to Championship Game Win Streak

With a win on Sunday night, the Huskies would claim their 12th national championship, all under Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma. Along with owning the record for the most national championships in Division I women’s basketball history–currently three ahead of Tennessee, who hasn’t won one since 2008–the Huskies have a perfect record in championship game appearances.

National Championship Game History for UConn

• 1995: beat Tennessee
• 2000: beat Tennessee
• 2002: beat Oklahoma
• 2003: beat Tennessee
• 2004: beat Tennessee
• 2009: beat Louisville
• 2010: beat Stanford
• 2013: beat Louisville
• 2014: beat Notre Dame
• 2015: beat Notre Dame
• 2016: beat Syracuse

Interestingly, between the men’s and women’s programs, UConn sports a perfect 15-0 record in national championship games (the men won in their title game appearances in 1999, 2004, 2011, and 2014).

But this is the women’s team’s first trip to the national title game since 2016, when they won a record fourth title in a row by throttling Syracuse by 31 points.

Much has happened since their last title, and though they have reached every Final Four since, Friday night was the first time since then that their season didn’t end in the national semifinals.

Over the past several seasons, South Carolina won its first national championship, Notre Dame and Stanford both ended title droughts, Mississippi State (twice) and Arizona appeared in national championship games, and Oregon reached a Final Four.

UConn hasn’t won another title, but they have still managed to be a constant as other teams have emerged or reemerged.

Boston, Gamecocks Look to Put 2021 Heartbreak Behind Them

South Carolina hasn’t quite gotten to that point, but they are headed that way. A decade ago, South Carolina made the Sweet 16 in what was coach Dawn Staley’s fourth season at the helm. At the time, the program had never been past the Elite Eight, and that year’s tournament appearance was its first since 2003.

This marks their fourth Final Four appearance since then, all coming in the last seven seasons, and they are looking to cut down the nets for the second time after beating SEC foe Mississippi State to do so in 2017.

Last year, the Gamecocks suffered a heartbreaking one-point loss to Stanford in the national semifinals, so the opportunity to meet them for the title would have been a real full-circle moment, especially for South Carolina star Aliyah Boston.

Boston had an agonizing miss in last year’s loss to Stanford, and she has been on a mission all season long to write a different ending this season. Against Louisville on Friday night, she recorded her 29th double-double of the season, putting up 23 points and 18 rebounds against the Cardinals.

2022 NCAA Tournament Statistics for Aliyah Boston

• First Round (vs. Howard): 10 points, 12 rebounds
• Second Round (vs. Miami (FL)): 10 points, 16 rebounds
• Sweet 16 (vs. North Carolina): 28 points, 22 rebounds
• Elite Eight (vs. Creighton): 19 points, seven rebounds
• National Semifinal (vs. Louisville): 23 points, 18 rebounds
• Averages: 18.0 PPG, 15.0 RPG

In the first meeting against UConn, Boston had 22 points and 15 rebounds, with seven of those boards coming on the offensive end. Boston averages over four offensive rebounds per game and had six offensive boards against Louisville.

To beat the Gamecocks this time around, the Huskies will need to fare much better against Boston. UConn did a great job against Stanford’s size and outrebounded the Cardinal by nine even without the injured Dorka Juhasz, who fractured her wrist in the Elite Eight win.

Given the job that the Huskies did against the Cardinal, it would be silly to scoff at their chances to keep Boston more in check. If they can do that, it will go a long way towards winning.

South Carolina is a very, very talented and very deep team, and Boston isn’t the only reason why they are in the championship game. But she is the biggest key to their success, and not allowing her to dominate is a major key for UConn.

UConn vs. South Carolina Prediction and Spread & Over/Under Betting Picks

Boston is one of many reasons for South Carolina’s defensive prowess this season, which is the biggest reason why they are playing for a national championship. The Gamecocks have allowed 60+ points only eight times this season, and only two of those are in their past 21 games.

Being so good defensively can help overcome issues on the offensive end, and that has been the case at times during their tournament run. But they hit over 50 percent of their shots against Creighton and over 47 percent against Louisville, and they will need to avoid going cold against UConn.

Were there no questions about South Carolina’s offensive production, this one would be more straightforward. But that does cause some pause when pondering how this one will play out.

Shutting down Stanford for much of the game helped UConn get a lead, keep the Cardinal at bay, and eventually grow their advantage to where a late flurry proved to be too little, too late. And it is certainly tempting to back Bueckers to win a title in her return to Minnesota.

Prediction and Picks: South Carolina 70, UConn 63 (South Carolina -4 & OVER 126)

But South Carolina’s November win came prior to Bueckers going down, and in that win, the Gamecocks were +17 on the boards, forced 19 turnovers, and won by 16 despite trailing by double digits late in the first half.

Some roles have changed since then for the Huskies–their third and fourth-leading scorers, Azzi Fudd (who was not 100 percent) played only 10 minutes, and fellow freshman Caroline Ducharme did not play at all. And role changes, maturing, and togetherness have certainly helped UConn make strides, survive Bueckers’ absence, and respond well with Juhasz going down.

But those the legitimate concerns that are there about South Carolina do not outweigh the reasons why I think Sunday night will be a celebratory one for Staley, Boston, and the team that has been the best in the country all season long.

How to Bet on UConn vs. South Carolina

All of our recommended sportsbooks are offering UConn vs. South Carolina spread, over/under, and moneyline odds. All of the sportsbooks that we recommend are regulated and reputable, so if legal sports betting is offered in your state, you should check them out.

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BetOnline Sportsbook

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